Stockholm’s 1912 Olympic stadium was designated as the main arena. It was the first time in modern history that an event on this scale had been attempted in equestrian sport and it was an enormous undertaking for everyone involved. The excellent work of the Organising Committee and Swedish National Federation contributed to the exceptionally smooth running of the Games, with sponsorship and ticketing revenue surpassing expectations and a post-event study confirming a strong economic benefit to the city. Sweden as a whole gained in terms of the renewed and energised interest in equestrianism.
The weather that year in Stockholm was glorious, contributing to the huge sense of optimism and momentum generated by the inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™. As we will see, these Games would be a hard act to follow…..
France dominated in the Jumping arena at these inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Stockholm, where Eric Navet claimed the individual honours and joined team-mates Hubert Bourdy, Roger-Yves Bost and Pierre Durand to take the team title.
Navet realised the dream for many generations of his family when he was victorious with the stallion Quito de Baussy, bred by his father Alain at the Haras de Baussy in Calvados, Normandy. This was particularly significant given that the change-horse Individual Final included some of the greatest equine legends of all time including the duo of magnificent greys, Milton and Gem Twist. Silver medallists at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, Best and Gem Twist, knocked a rail but Gem Twist earned the title of "World's Best Horse" that afternoon when his only other mistake was with Bourdy.
It was Great Britain's Whitaker and Milton who lined up in silver medal position ahead of Bourdy in bronze while Best finished individually fourth as did the US team which also included Joan Scharffenberger (Victor), Anne Kursinski (Starman) and Joe Fargis (Mill Pearl).
A total of 16 teams competed and, despite a 16-fault result for Roger-Yves Bost (Norton de Rhuys), the French reigned supreme ahead of Germany in silver and Great Britain in bronze.
The course designer in Stockholm was Olaf Petersen, whose flair and innovation had already made a big impression at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul (KOR). The Stockholm Jumping tracks had a distinctly Swedish theme.
It was no surprise when Team Germany claimed double-gold in Stockholm. Since the World Championship titles were first initiated at Bern (SUI) in 1966, German riders had overwhelmed the opposition on every occasion except, notably, at the second edition on their home ground in Aachen in 1970.
Nicole Uphoff and Rembrandt, who had burst onto the international scene with Olympic glory in Seoul (KOR) two years earlier, took the individual title ahead of Finland’s Kyra Kyrklund and Matador, while the strength of the German challenge was further underpinned by individual bronze for Monica Theodorescu and Ganimedes. Sven Rothenberger (Ideaal) and Ann-Kathrin Kroth (Golfstrom) completed the German side that stood top of the team podium ahead of the Soviet Union (just before its break-up) in silver medal position and Switzerland in bronze.
A record number of 68 starters from 22 countries took part.
Eighty-four riders started in Stockholm and 60 finished the competition, held in the green oasis of the Royal Parks of Garnet and Djurgarden in the heart of the Swedish capital city. Blyth Tait on Messiah earned the first individual Eventing world title for New Zealand, and was joined by Andrew Nicholson (Spinning Rhombus), Andrew Scott (Umptee) and the double Olympic champion of 1984 and 1988, Mark Todd (Bahlua), to also take team gold.
The star-studded British side of Karen Straker (Get Smart), Rodney Powell (The Irishman ll), Virginia Leng (Griffin) and Ian Stark (Murphy Himself) claimed team silver while Germany clinched the bronze. Stark and his opinionated grey gelding earned individual silver and America’s Bruce Davidson and Pirate Lion were individual bronze medallists.
Fifty-two starters from 18 countries competed at the first FEI World Equestrian Games™ Driving Championships in Stockholm where the disqualification of The Netherlands’ Ad Aarts for use of a prohibited substance saw him lose not only his individual medal but also team gold for his country.
Gold instead went to Sweden’s Christer Pahlsson, Jan-Erik Pahlsson and Tomas Eriksson, but the Dutch still held on for silver despite counting only the two scores of Ijsbrand Chardon and Theo Weusthof while Hungary took the bronze. Sweden’s Eriksson was crowned the new individual World champion, Hungary’s Jozsef Bozsik took individual silver and The Netherlands’ Ijsbrand Chardon claimed individual bronze.
The third Endurance FEI World Championships were held in the framework of the first FEI World Equestrian Games™, and Becky Hart of the United States with her Arabian R.O. Grand Sultan won the individual title for the second time in succession. Great Britain’s Jane Donovan and Ibriz claimed silver ahead of Australia’s Jane Petersen partnering Abbeline Lionel in bronze, but the biggest surprise of these championships was the British victory in the team competition.
Elizabeth Finney (Showgirl ll), Judith Heely (Shumac), Joy Loyla (General Portfolio Hero) and Lila Wall (Alfie), four mature ladies with their much-loved horses had the best aggregate time to take gold ahead of Team Belgium in silver and Team Spain in bronze.
The Swiss were the winners of the first FEI World Vaulting Championship staged at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 1990. They had a fierce rivalry with the then-Federal Republic of Germany for over 20 years, but this time the vaulters from St. Gallen claimed victory over their long-time rivals while USA took team bronze.
FRG athletes were in total command of the individual medal podiums however with Silke Bernhard, Silke Michelberger and Ute Schonlan claiming the top three spots in the Female Championship and Michael Lehner, Christoph Lensing and Dietmar Otto taking the Mens medals in that order.
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